For the first two years of One Mighty Roar, the question of “What do you call yourself?” came up a lot. Externally, people saw as a company with a growing portfolio of brand clients and a trail of websites and social campaigns behind it. Internally, our team saw a growing stockpile of self-made code and tools which tied those projects together. Whatever OMR was didn’t feel exactly like an agency, but it was close enough. So we relented and embraced the byline of “Digital Agency” for the next two years. It wasn’t a perfect description of what we thought made the company great, but the people who mattered understood the difference and that was good enough for us.

A funny thing happens when people hear you have clients — they categorize. Consultants have clients. Agencies have clients. Product companies have customers. Customers who buy widgets or subscriptions to things — prebuilt stuff.

The “sort of” agency

In the early years, being labeled an agency on the outside wasn’t bad. We got to solve challenges for a constantly evolving group of interesting brands and individuals. The answers tended to be websites and mobile applications, but the freedom to build foundations for others inspired us. Our team approached client projects like a product team would. Instead of building for an expiration date of rotating seasonal campaigns, we focused on making reusable building blocks. Some of those blocks were pieces we would later assemble to be products.

At the time we thought product companies required outside funding to get started, and being self-funded is an opportunity you protect. Unlike many early product companies, our business model did not require hitting user count or investment milestones to succeed. Our “funding” came from the projects we contracted. Building for others was great because we were handed challenges to solve pre-validated by the brands and budgets behind them. It afforded us the opportunity to remain self-funded with access to top brands.

From agency to product thinking

Client services aside, One Mighty Roar has two products with enough traction and revenue to have “made it” as independent business models.

One is You Rather, a giant predictive modeling engine based around the game of “would you rather”. At time of writing, it tracks about ⅓ billion responses and a few million views each day. The second product is Robin, a platform that connects digital and physical things by bringing digital layers into physical environments. Despite being early to the “connected device” and “Internet of things” game, Robin has been fortunate to see use from global brands and has grown to a key initiative that powers much of the work we do.

When we interview for open positions, these are the things we talk about first. Without understanding our toolbox, a candidate won’t understand the problems our team can solve. When prospective clients come to us now, we greet them with thinking that supports the products we’ve made. In many cases, it works better than the mobile application or Facebook campaign they originally wanted.

We don’t view product as a way to escape client work. It’s all the same — our client services help evangelize our products. Our products are designed to make certain problems easy to solve. We love when there is a fit, but it’s not a requirement. We are like a toolbox filled with both general tools and some that are unique to us. Some of our best web and mobile application projects have led to new internal workflow, open source projects, and foundations for future products.

Product is a foundation not a department

The products are a part of our thought process right from the start. This is one of the things that a lot of larger agencies get backwards. Let’s take the recent “labs” trend popping up among large agencies. A 500+ person agency tries to recapture its agility by creating a “labs/innovation” department. On paper, lab initiatives feels like product — smart people in a room tinkering with the latest technology to build things their clients can use. What happens instead (unfortunately) is the lab becomes little more than a media kit checklist item to show they are forward thinkers. A handful of interesting experiences might come out of it every year, but the rest of the company doesn’t benefit from the new process, only the results.

Today’s 500+ person agency doesn’t have the cultural foundation to support a product startup inside of it. Hell, there are fifty person agencies that would have a hard time making the product shift. They scratch itches instead of solve problems and fail the test of “different or better?”. Being scrappy is something you can lose with size, but scrappiness is also the catalyst needed for compelling product direction. Scrappy can’t afford to build things with expiration dates.

Clients can sponsor features

Clients can (and should) have goals that extend beyond a single project launch. When building with a product toolbox mentality clients become sponsors for new features, either directly or indirectly. The client gets what they want for their project and we get a good reason to bump a new, client validated feature to the top of the list. This isn’t to say that you build generic results. The difference is in approach. Simply asking “How would this be done if it wasn’t just for this use case?” nets a lot of design and development decisions which ultimately make stronger product design.

Good products come from domain expertise

People build solutions to their own problems. If enough other people have the same problem, you have a product. If enough people buy in (and they don’t always), you have a business.

Building to a product rather than a project means something is always left to improve. We believe in constantly iterating towards a goal or at least a larger narrative. Whether the product fails or succeeds, you’ll still have the “why did we make this?” to inform the next steps.

Product people and project people

At One Mighty Roar, we are product people who take on client projects. When we interview people from larger agencies, a common thread for departure is burnout from shelved projects or great work that doesn’t exist anymore. Dan Ariely covers a lot of these points in his talk called “What Makes Us Feel Good About Our Work.”

In project based work, it’s harder to be deeply invested in something the moment an expiration date is established. Product represents something to always come back to. Coupled with the diversity of challenges and the brands agency style work comes with, we find a product company with client services gets the best of both worlds.

The fabled “20% time”

Our friend, Richard Banfield of Fresh Tilled Soil, recently wrote an interesting piece which cautions design companies that try to tackle agency and internal product work. One topic covered is the danger of viewing 20% time as an adequate amount of time to develop a product. This magical time is the first to go in busy situations, which can all but halt product development.

Interpretation has changed over time, but the gist is a company spends the majority of time thinking specifically, and the minority is thinking broadly. Google and 37Signals get a lot of credit for being the pioneers in this regard, but it’s 3M we have to thank for subsidized personal projects at the workplace.

We don’t believe that client work disqualifies a company from doing product if you hire the right people and build for the right companies. Put another way, we spend 80% of our time building out customized iterations of our services, then 20% refining for the big picture.

It’s a business, not a lottery ticket

Products aren’t lottery tickets to aid in the escape from your core business. We’ve come to view products as a broader framework for solving problems by improve the toolbox and workflow we tackle projects with. You can’t force it, but if you’re looking for opportunities they will come up a lot more than if you have project tunnel vision.

Products are often, to quote the famed Bob Ross, “happy accidents”.

http://www.primarytech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PrimaryTechnologies-Logo-new1-300x144.png00adminhttp://www.primarytech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PrimaryTechnologies-Logo-new1-300x144.pngadmin2017-11-28 14:00:052017-11-28 14:00:05Agencies, Product, and the Business of Building for People

People tend to have an idealistic view of what it’s like to work remotely – especially when it comes to working from home. But, with the unique freedom and flexibility of working remotely, there are also some unique challenges. The majority of the Treehouse team are remote, and over the past 7 years, we’ve collectively gained a lot of experience for how to successfully work remotely. Whether you’re working from home, a co-working space, coffee shops or the limitless other locations you may choose, there are a few common challenges that you’ll likely encounter at one time or another. Here’s our list of the 5 most common challenges of working remotely, and more importantly how to overcome them.

Start learning to code today with your free trial on Treehouse.

1. Keep your motivation

Whether you work remotely as a freelancer or for a company, ultimately you’re the manager of your own time. Not having someone overseeing your daily work can be an empowering perk of working outside of a traditional office, but at the same time, that level of trust comes with the added pressure to keep yourself productive and efficient. Finding ways to self-motivate can be very challenging, especially if you’re new to working remotely. But, I can assure you that with time, you’ll establish routines and ways of keeping yourself on track.

Maintaining motivation can be one of the greatest challenges of working remotely, but the good news is that most of the tips shared in this post will help feed into your motivation. However, there’s one particularly valuable piece of advice that I find helps, and that’s to think carefully about your working environment. By establishing an ideal workspace for yourself, you’ll find yourself working comfortably, but productivity. For me, that’s a spacious and uncluttered desk space and a window view, which is something I’ve created in my home office, but I can also replicate in a coffee shop or at my co-working space.

2. Fend off distractions

One of the benefits of working remotely is you don’t have the challenge of dealing with office distractions. But, working in other places can present an entirely new set of distractions. For example, just because you’re working from home, it doesn’t mean you should catch up on house chores. Treat working hours as exactly that, working hours. Keeping that strict division is something you should establish at the start as it sets the right precedent to keep you focused on your work.

Similarly, working in a coffee shop or co-working space may come with the distractions of a loud, busy environment. If you’re anything like me and can find that very distracting, so invest in a good set of noise-canceling headphones and rely on a few go-to playlists that help you focus. When you aren’t in an office setting, also remember that trust from your employer and team plays a big factor. Be self-disciplined and accountable for your time. Make the most of the awesome flexibility you’ve been given by working as effectively as possible.

3. Avoid working in isolation

Working remotely – especially from home – can sometimes lead to working in your own “silo”. It can be easy to fall into the pattern of starting work in the morning and powering through the day on your computer, which can take a toll mentally. While this might feel like you’re being productive, it’s important that you also take short breaks through the day to give your mind and your eyes a chance to refresh (and no, that doesn’t mean scrolling through your social feeds). When working from home, I find the best way to do that is to get out the house first thing in the morning or at lunchtime for a walk. It helps me reconnect with the world around me and once I’m back at my keyboard I feel refreshed.

Joining a co-working, even if it only means working there a day or two a week, is another great way of ensuring you don’t work in too much isolation. Today you have countless options to choose from, so be patient while you search and find a space that’s right for you: Look for somewhere that feels like the right working environment, speak to other members to get a feel for what the culture is like, and ask about events at the space.

Another related challenge of working remotely is that you’ll likely miss company culture and human interaction. Co-working spaces can help remedy that. But in addition, most remote-friendly companies today are aware of that and put extra measures in place to ensure their culture reaches all of their remote team. For example, at Treehouse we rely heavily on tools like Slack and Zoom to keep our team connected, encourage individuals to join co-working spaces and even bring our team together in-person for company-wide Meetups. But there are also things you can do for yourself to help with the challenge. Make the effort to get to know other people working in your co-working space, or attend local Meetups and networking events. I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how many other people work remotely, and it’s great to connect with others to share advice, experiences, and to socialize!

4. Maintain a healthy lifestyle

Aside from the mental challenges of working in isolation, parking yourself at a desk all day is also bad for your health. You may not notice it at first, but trust me, over time it will have an impact. So instead, keep yourself moving through the day. One great and practical recommendation is to invest in an adjustable high desk (we use GeekDesks at Treehouse), so you can stand and work for part of your day. I also rely on my FitBit to remind me to keep moving through the day. It’s also important you try to commit to a healthy daily routine. Given you’ll likely be saving time not having to commute, why not use that time to exercise in the morning before work or after you wrap up in the evenings? Working from home also means you’re not restricted to having to grab lunch on the go. Instead, whip up something healthy for yourself, there’s really no excuse with your own kitchen at your disposal!

5. Know when to disconnect

One of the hardest parts of working remotely (especially from home) is “switching off” from work. Instead of an office structure with 9-5 hours, you can access your virtual office at any time of the day or night. That can make it hard to justify ending your workday when there’s still more to be done. The temptation might even be to head offline in the evening, only to return later to complete a quick task… fast forward to 11.30pm and you may find yourself still working. Of course, there will be times when that is necessary, but really try not to make a habit of working late as ultimately it will burn you out. One of the most effective ways to avoid this is to ensure you keep your work environment at home (and your computer) separate from where you spend your free time. That way, when you come to the end of the working day, you can close the door on that space, disconnect and switch off until tomorrow.

We hope you’ve found these tips helpful. If you work remotely, we’d love to hear about your experience. Are there additional challenges you’ve faced? How have you overcome them?

7 Compelling Reasons to Work Remotely

The post How to Tackle The 5 Big Challenges of Working Remotely appeared first on Treehouse Blog.

http://www.primarytech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PrimaryTechnologies-Logo-new1-300x144.png00adminhttp://www.primarytech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PrimaryTechnologies-Logo-new1-300x144.pngadmin2017-11-28 13:30:032017-11-28 13:30:03How to Tackle The 5 Big Challenges of Working Remotely

After the success of 2015 & 2016‘s compilation, I’ve again compiled some of the best 2017 Black Friday Deals and Cyber Monday Sales for graphic designers, web professionals, creatives, freelancers and more.

I will be updating this page frequently until all sales are over. If you have your own deal, email me and I’ll update the post with your deal.

Many more deals are listed at the very bottom of this post and will be updated as they come in.

Master A New Skill with an Online Course from Udemy – Just $10

Master a new skill with an online course from Udemy for just $10 which gives you up to 90% off any particular course!

SkillShare 1-2 Months FREE Premium Membership

The second most popular deal from last year is the FREE 2 month Premium Membership from Skillshare. These classes are much more ‘snack-sized’ than Udemy’s in-depth courses. So, learn a new skill today, enroll in a class from Skillshare. With this deal you will get 1 or 2 free months of Skillshare Premium membership.

KingSumo – (75% Off) – Get the tool that AppSumo used to grow our list to 750K email subscribers.

Envato Market Place – 50% Off

Get 50% off over 500 digital assets, templates and files from Envato’s sites including Themeforest, Codecanyon, Graphicriver, VideoHive and AudioJungle. Plus 34% off annual subscriptions. Until Nov 29. No coupon required.

Mockup Zone gives you realistic and easy to edit mockup files for your portfolio designs or design presentations. Get 70% off until 28 November.

Shutterstock Stock Photos & Vectors – 10-20% off

Get over 60 million stock photos, vectors, videos and music tracks from Shutterstock.

Get 20% off 750 image subscription plans with the code ‘SSUB’ or get 10% off any order with code ‘SS10’.

MyFonts Best Sellers & Special Offers

Browse the MyFonts best sellers and special offers page and grab some great Black Friday deals deals!

Need a Vacation? Get US $15 off any booking at Booking.com

Booking is my favourite online hotel booking engine, due to all of its features and simplicity. And today, you can get US$15 off your next stay!

> Click here to get $15 off your next Booking

The $15 will be refunded to you after checking out of your hotel. Booking.com will send an email with the refund. You must have a Booking.com account to get refunded. Have any questions? See their FAQ.

DesignCuts Marketplace Black Friday – 40% Off

You can save a massive 40% on the best quality creative assets from some of DesignCut most popular designers. Valid to 12PM, Tuesday 28th November, UK time.

TheHungryJPEG.com – Different deals every day!

Home to premium design resources for designers, crafters, newbies, seasoned graphic design ninjas and well, anybody with an interest in the design world. Up to 99% OFF, plus 5 days of different deals from Nov 23 to 27. Check in every day for a brand new deal (especially the last day).

SmartMockups App – 35% Off

Smartmockups is exactly what it sounds like… A smart mockup tool that gives you the power, speed and resources you need to create stunning photo-realistic mockup designs, in just a few clicks. Save 35% off between Nov 22nd-29th.

NordVPN (75% Off)

NordVPN is the easiest to use VPN provider out there. You can watched previously banned TV from other parts of the world, while increasing your online privacy.

Get an exclusive 77% discount on a 3 Year Plan making it just $3 a month. Use code ‘3ydeal’ to claim, until November 29.

BlueHost Web Hosting + FREE Domain – 66% Off

BlueHost is my recommended web host for small to mid-sized businesses. Easy to use, great value, great support and my first choice for clients. Just Creative readers save 66% off their hosting and a free domain. See my tutorial on how to set up your own website. Valid Friday 24 to 27th at 11:59PM MST.

Totally Artistic, Vector Supply Kit, for 99% Off

Fantastic quality vectors are fundamental building blocks for all designers. That is why it is so important to have a great selection of vector tools at your disposal, and this bundle gives you just that and so much more! DesignCuts have teamed up with the best vector designers in the business to bring you this all-new bundle with 1000s of the best quality vectors you can find today, without the hefty price tag!

This vector supply kit would typically cost you $2995, but until Dec 5 it’s available for you for just $29!

The Ultimate Guide to Logo Design eBook – 35% Off

The Ultimate Logo Design eBook by Kyle Courtright is the “definitive guide to logo design”. This eBook would go for $29 however you can get $10 (35% off) the book, making it just $19. This is your chance to up your logo & branding game – there really is no other resource like this. Use coupon code ‘JUST10OFF’ at checkout.

IconFinder – 2 Million Icons 60% Off

IconFinder is offering Just Creative readers 60% off the first month of membership. Get it here.

LogoWave Awards Competition – 20% Off

LogoWave entries get 20% off for any entries from Black Friday through 12/1 with promo “WAVE20“.

Getting A Mentor As a Designer Guaranteed Book

Ram Castillo is one inspiring dude and he has two great books, his latest is based on finding a mentor to allow you to “see blind spots and succeed faster”. Get the free audio book with the purchase of the paperback (please email Ram after purchasing and he will send it to you). Also see Ram’s other book, How to Get a Job as a Designer Guaranteed.

SleekLens – Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop Products – 30% Off

Receive discounts of up to 20-30% off on select products for Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Simply use the promo code BLKFRIDAY during checkout. Get the deal here.

50% Off All Marketplace Items at FontBundles.net

Get 50% off all marketplace items at FontBundles.net between Nov 25-28. Browse items.

Smart Slider 3 Responsive Slider for WordPress – 60% Off

Smart Slider 3 is the perfect responsive slider for WordPress. You can create beautiful sliders and animated blocks easily with the next generation visual editor. You don’t have to think about any technical details, the drag&drop interface will help you. You won’t believe how easy it is! We are excited to offer a huge 60% discount on all plans! Head over to smartslider3.com and enter code BF2017 at checkout! Valid from November 23rd to 28th.

Taco Shop Shirts & Swag – US Free Shipping

For taco lovers out there, get free shipping in the USA for Taco Gear products.

Creative Market – 20% Off

Get 20% off stock resources from CreativeMarket.

Elementor Pro Page Builder – 25% Off

Create stunning professional websites in minutes. Get 25% off with code ‘blackfriday2017’.

React, Node & ES6 Courses – 50% Off

Take 50% off all courses and skill up before the year is over.

Learn React for Beginners Learn Node Learn ES6+

MotoCMS – 55% Off Plugins, Themes, Membership

MotoPress offers 55% discount on everything – all professional WordPress themes, user-friendly plugins like the WordPress Page Builder plugin and all other products! Use MPBESTBUY discount code during checkout. The deal is valid from November, 23 until November, 27.

123RF.com – 15% Off Stock Imagery

Download from 90+ million stock photos, vectors, videos and music tracks at 123RF.com. Get 15% off image subscription plans / 15% more credits with the code “HYPERCYBER”. Get started!

More Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deals

Courses

Online Courses from Udemy – $10-$15 (90% off) Skillshare Premium Membership – 2 Free months NuSchool – All classes and book are on sale for $217. $197 discount. Until Nov 29. CodeCollege – 50% Off all memberships and courses. Use code BLACKFRIDAY2017 Codeschool – 51% off a year membership

Welcome to the 12th edition of Cyber Monday! This is a special online shopping day that gives the brick-and-mortar Black Friday a run for its money.

Cyber Monday has been an unqualified success. It gives you the opportunity to realize some great savings of yours. You can spend them on a variety of online web design products and services.

These aren’t clearance or inventory-reduction items either. These are top-quality and premium items. These are the kind of products and services you may have been looking for. Now, that you’ve found one or more at significant savings, it certainly can make your day.

We’ll start with one of the most useful, feature rich and popular web design products on the market – and go on from there.

Proto.io

A prototype can often be built more quickly, and provide superior performance, when compared to wireframes or mockups. Proto.io is a multi-featured, high performance design aid that enables its users to quickly and easily create prototypes of any desired fidelity level. It is used by more than 500,000 users from the world’s hottest startups and leading Fortune 500 companies.

With Proto.io, you can quickly put together a low-to-medium fidelity model to demonstrate a design concept, or to demonstrate progress in the early stages of design. A high- or ultra-high prototype, can be invaluable for user testing and design sign-off, and to provide helpful information to the developer.

Proto.io is a “must have” for projects relying heavily on rapid prototyping. Changes can be made quickly, based on sharing and feedback, and version control is strictly maintained by this application during periods of rapid and multiple design changes. Plus, no coding is needed.

Wait, that’s not it – Proto.io offers an extra feature right now – you can now prototype for Virtual Reality straight within Proto.io.

Because of the value it provides, Proto.io represents a tremendous bargain when offered at its regular price. You’ll get an even better bargain Cyber Monday; as this design aid is being offered at a 30% discount for all annual plans.

wpDataTables

Creating useful and attractive tables and charts is often one of the most time-consuming activities when building a website. This can be especially true when massive (read millions of rows of data need to be managed), or the manner in which the data has been, or is to be categorized is particularly complex.

wpDataTables makes table and chart building almost ridiculously easy. This WordPress plugin is so fast and efficient, that non-WordPress designers have switched over to WordPress, so they can use it.

wpDataTables-created charts are not only attractive and informative, they are responsive and easy to edit as well. Users can calculate sums, averages, minimums and maximums, and perform other calculations, as well a highlighting columns, rows, or cells of data, in color.

For Cyber Monday, his remarkable WordPress plugin can be yours at a 50% discount until Wednesday. 29th.

StockUnlimited

$49 to meet your image needs for 3 years? Why not!

Still struggling to find affordable yet professional quality graphics? You obviously have not heard of StockUnlimited!

This intuitive and user-friendly website has an entire library of outstanding graphics, images, vectors, fonts, templates, and icons – all royalty-free. Once you pay the subscription fee, you get unlimited access to over 1 million superior quality photos for personal and commercial use!

Want a HUGE Cyber Monday discount on top of that? Upgrade to a Premium account (3-year subscription) for only $49 with this promo code: CYBER17

It’s not every day you come across a deal of this value, so we suggest you don’t miss it! Deal ends Dec 31, 2017.

Themefuse

Cyber Monday is that time of the year where you can realize some significant savings. What Themefuse offers in terms of a discount, might be better described as awesome. Whether you place a single item in your shopping cart, or several, the discount’s the same – a whopping 70% off the regular price for premium themes (45+ of them), the Themefuse Developer Plan, and the Lifetime Plan.

The promo code is cybermonday2017.

Houzez

If there ever was a specialty theme that hit it square on the button, it’s Houzez. This premium WordPress theme is the perfect solution for building websites for realtors and real estate agencies. Everything is there to create websites that have all the features and functionality clients in this sector want and expect. Congratulate yourself for being a smart shopper on Cyber Monday, with the purchase of Houzez at a 35 % discount.

ThemeIsle

Here are three nice little packages, any of which could make your day on Cyber Monday. ThemeIsle is offering each of its three web design plans at a 25% discount. You’ll gain access to 30+ WordPress themes, 10+ premium plugins, shared hosting, updates and new releases, and excellent support.

Check out the plans to see which of them is best for you.

7. NomNom

Whenever you need to uncover issues your customers may have, gather evidence to support a new marketing campaign, or share findings with others, NomNom has your back. This customer feedback management tool gives you instant visibility into what your customers are saying.

NomNom is trusted by product teams at Usertesting.com, Contentful, and Booking.com. Sign up for any plan and receive a 35% discount for 6 months, and start 2018 strong! Use discount code NOMNOM18.

Orion Icon Library – 68% off Pro account

This Cyber Monday offer is a good chance to not only gain access to the Orion Icon Library’s inventory of more than 4800 free icons, but have the opportunity to access an additional 1431 premium icons and unlimited functionalities, and procure a commercial license; all at a 68% discount over the regular price.

Goodie

Designing a website might be a fun activity, but when it comes to coding, not everyone is a pro. However, there is a quick fix for that – Goodie has gathered a community of great web developers who are keen to provide you with an error-free coded website for $999 this Cyber Monday.

Your design, Goodie’s web developers – and voila, the pixel-perfect website is ready in no time!

pCloud

If you missed pCloud’s Black Friday special, you get one more shot at purchasing either of these secure Swiss cloud storage packages at half price.

The Premium Plus 2TB storage/pCloud Crypto combination normally sells for $143.76. To celebrate Cyber Monday, it can be yours for $71.88.

Conclusion

Cyber Monday is a time for bargains. As a web designer, you have a great opportunity to find premium products or services you need or can use. The best part, all of them will be available at bargain prices! Impulse shopping can be dangerous, as you might be tempted to overload your shopping cart.

Yet, you can pick one item from this list. Choose between amazing WordPress themes, design tools, storage services, and other website-building aids!

Believe us, it can still make your day! Happy Cyber Monday!

The post The Best Cyber Monday Yet with Great Deals for Designers appeared first on Line25.

http://www.primarytech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PrimaryTechnologies-Logo-new1-300x144.png00adminhttp://www.primarytech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PrimaryTechnologies-Logo-new1-300x144.pngadmin2017-11-28 10:00:022017-11-28 10:00:02The Best Cyber Monday Yet with Great Deals for Designers

Happy Thanksgiving to our wonderful community of students! Each and every one of you inspires us every day with your dedication and all that you accomplish. As our CEO and co-founder Ryan Carson said last Thanksgiving “Thank you for putting in the hard work to learn to code and change your life. We created the school, but you did the hard work of learning. We love what we do and come to work every day for people like you.”

In fact, this year, we’re so grateful for all of you that we wanted to say a special “thank you” the best way we know how, with code!

So why not set yourself a mini coding challenge this Thanksgiving? Can you recognize and name the 12 programming languages we used to say thank you in the video below? Once you’ve noted down your list, scroll down for the answers.

Whether you’re a veteran developer or a coding newbie, you need to constantly be learning new things and expanding your coding skills because being a developer means being a lifelong learner. To keep up with the evolving tech industry, it’s important you keep your skills up-to-date. With so many different languages to choose from, it can be tricky to decide what to learn next. To help narrow down your choices, we’ve put together a list of some of our most popular courses to brush up your coding skills. Why not choose one to focus on and set yourself a learning goal this weekend?

Start learning to code today with a free trial on Treehouse.

1. Object-Oriented JavaScript

Objects in JavaScript are everywhere. Whether you know it or not, you’ve been using them already. You can use the document object to find HTML elements and modify their contents. You’ve been using the console to log out values. However, you can make your own objects to organize your own code and do some awesome things. In this course with Andrew Chalkley, you’ll build a couple of projects to get a handle on creating your own objects.

Check out the course here

2. CSS Flexbox Layout

In this course with Guil Hernandez, you’ll l learn how to use Flexbox, a set of CSS properties that give you a flexible way to lay out content. With flexbox you can change the direction, alignment, size and order of elements, regardless of their original size and order in the HTML. You can even stretch and shrink elements and distribute space, all with just a few lines of CSS.

Check out the course here

3. Java Objects

Java is an Object Oriented Programming language. Literally, everything you interact with is an object, so understanding them is critical to your Java foundational base. In this course with Craig Dennis, you’ll learn how to create, use and express ideas using objects.

Check out the course here

4. Web Design Process

Going from a blank screen to a finished website can be daunting. In this course with Nick Pettit, you’ll learn about the major steps involved in designing websites. You’ll also learn how to gather information, explore potential concepts, and iterate on a design. By the end, you’ll have the foundation you need to continue your design journey.

Check out the course here

5. JavaScript Loops, Arrays and Objects

Storing, tracking and handling data is a large part of computer programming. Arrays provide a method for storing multiple values into a single variable. That makes an array a convenient way to pass around a list of items. In this course with Dave McFarland, you’ll learn how to create arrays and use loops to access their contents. You’ll also learn some advanced methods that make working with arrays easier.

Check out the course here

6. Python Collections

You can get pretty far in Python with numbers, strings, lists, booleans, and basic logic. Eventually, though, you’re going to need more complex containers for our data. You’re also going to need more control over lists and strings. In this course, Kenneth Love will teach you about dictionaries, sets, tuples, slices, and how to exert even more control over lists in your Python programs.

Check out the course here

These are just a few of our courses, in fact, we currently have over 300 courses in the Treehouse Library for you to check out! Is there a Treehouse course you’d like to recommend to the community? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

10 Beginner Courses to Introduce You to Coding

The post 6 Courses to Brush-up Your Coding Skills This Weekend appeared first on Treehouse Blog.

Out of all of the creative people in the world, designers have a very clear vision of what their online portfolio should look like. Their line of work demands a site that lives up to their standard, showcases the diversity of their creations, while capturing the essence of their signature. In other words: they are likely to think of their website as a piece of art in itself. As they should.

Whether you’re building your own online presence, or somebody else’s one, you need a platform that can fulfill even your wildest design fantasies. To create a website, you want to benefit from the most advanced features, intuitive to use and a platform that provides beautiful results. This way, you’re in control from design to live.

Speaking of lively results, there’s no better way to prove a point than with some stunning evidence. So without further ado, here are 10 designers who used the unlimited creative possibilities of Wix to imagine and realize portfolios that are not only functional, but serve as a true testament to their work.

1. Mike Almanza

2018 will see the confirmation of a now well-established trend: long-scrolling websites. The visual impact is great, and it fits perfectly the new mobile habits. You just need to make sure that the different strips will ‘feel’ clearly separated, while speaking the same language. This portfolio solves the perilous equation with a splash of red color that repeats on every single strip. A perfect example of how playing with only few chromas can create a memorable experience.

2. Michael Burk Studio

Like it or not, the 80’s are back – and web design is no exception, as shown by this eye-catching designer’s portfolio. The combination of a vintage computer layout and bright colors immediately gives that ultimate pop feel. The “Work” and “Info” buttons anchored on either side of the page complete the bold approach. The result? Another piece of evidence that when a website looks like candy, everyone wants a taste.

3. Hannah Jacobs

Grid-based layouts will probably be one of the most widespread trends in 2018. Adding strips and columns helps your site to breathe, and organize the content in a more elegant way. This illustrator clearly mastered the art of composition, with her projects allocated in small boxes. For the animation, have a look at the bottom, with the film displayed in a full strip thanks to the genius tool that is Wix Video. Of course, the sketch wouldn’t be complete without the author’s signature. You’ll find it in the header, smartly transformed into the cutest and most authentic logos.

4. Dennis Krawec

Sometimes less is more. Obviously not here. This site proves that you can go crazy with colors, animations and a busy design language, and still create a fantastic-looking opus! If you happen to need a multilingual site, take some inspiration at how effortlessly this portfolio switches from English to Japanese.

5. Mild Design

Some pieces of art are so strikingly beautiful that they need very little introduction. This website went for a long-scrolling page that allows the visitors to discover the galleries gently and quietly – like in a museum. Don’t discard all textual content just yet. If you go for the same inspiration, the footer is the perfect place to stuff all your crucial information – such as your contacts and social media.

6. Candyfornia

GIF, GIF, GIF is all we can say! While the animations (and colors) may be busy, the perfectly boxed layout calms down the craze. The very prominent logo is balanced out with clean and simple “Services” and “About” pages. Another smart move: the rolling Instagram feed directly displayed on the homepage, and which looks like the most appetizing candy necklace.

7. Bruna Cristina

A powerful portrait as the header of your website is a classic, yet efficient way to lure users in and tempt them to continue to scroll. Another great find: check out how this design challenged the standard photography portfolio structure, by showcasing the gallery in a striking two-column grid.

8. Thai Pham

You learned it in your first year of (web) design school: white space is a crucial element to draw your users’ eyes onto what’s really important. This portfolio put the theory into practice in a masterly fashion, with white borders and a vast amount of space between the images. As a result, the website looks like it ‘breathes’ – even though a lot of pictures are displayed. We also love the sharp and ‘broken’ letters of the logo, which give off an edgier feel to an overall elegant design.

9. Max Halley

If your work involves a sense of humor and color, why not place it front and center to catch your visitors’ attention? This über-talented designer does exactly that. His fun, bright, and neon-colored animations are the most inviting. Note the clean background that helps balance out all the adventurous hues, and ease the navigation.

10. Adieu Film

Giving your website a character, if not a personality, is crucial. Somewhere between Wes Anderson’s movies and the sophisticated designs of the 60’s, this site clearly found its own language. We could elaborate for hours on this homepage that is supremely enticing, thanks to the lovely pink overlay and the slow motion video background. ‘Adieu’ film maybe, but ‘bienvenue’ to stunning web design!

Filled up with good inspiration? It’s your turn to experience creativity without limits. Start designing your website with Wix now!

Read More at Online Portfolio: 10 Designers Who Got It Right

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2018 is right around the corner and I thought I’d start celebrating the great year 2017 has been a list of the most promising startups in tech that you should look for in the coming year. And before I start dropping names left and right, I do want to point out that this list is purely biased and strictly based on my uneducated opinion. So without further ado here are the top 4 tech startups I’m looking forward to seeing in 2018.

1. Zentoshop

Zentoshop is a Magento based e-commerce Saas that allows store owners to go online in a matter of minutes and the guys behind the product have managed to solve one of the biggest issues I had with Saas E-commerce platforms and that would be scalability. Normally, a store you build on a similar platform would work (probably great) for the first few months, maybe a year, but the minute you hit big traffic numbers, orders or have a lot of products, the platform would crumble under its own weight. Zentoshop having Magento under the hood solves this issue, allowing the user to take advantage of all the benefits of having a Magento shop without any of the drawbacks, which are mostly the technical issues that force Magento store owners to hire one or more developers to do regular maintenance and updates on the system to ensure everything’s running smoothly.

2. eDrone.me

The app is positioned by a CRM but my experience in the e-commerce field makes me look a bit further behind curtains, at the “magic behind the eDrone”. The amount of data that the system handles and the process is impressive but then they’ve created a machine learning algorithm that provides insight and allows you to take actions to increase the LTV of the customer through a number of – simple to use and integrate – tools. It has about a gagillion integrations already, from Magento, Woocommerce to Shopify and Opencart.

Oh, did I mention you can start using the app for free, so yeah, I’d strongly suggest keeping an eye out for these guys, they are definitely on to something!

3. TypingDNA

By this point, the phrase: “the future is AI” should ring true just like the notion that the earth is round which is an undeniable truth, regardless what some may think or share on their social media accounts(looking at you: B.Y.O.B!). The Romanian team behind TypingDNA are trying to shape the future in their own way by using machine learning to develop behavioral biometrics solutions. I know! That sounds soooo fancy but the applications for something like this are countless. Imagine not having to remember a password. Ever! The system can check if you are authorized by your typing patterns. There’s an interesting case study, published on their site that will help you get a better idea of what they are doing

4. SwiftKey

This is no new startup but they have been killing it the past year and have plans of introducing a number of new features in the coming year. I myself have been using SwiftKey for about a year now on all my mobile devices and it works so effortlessly across 2 and even 3 languages without having me to configure settings or change parameters. I look forward to seeing what they have in store for 2018.

5. Snips.ai

There have been multiple similar products with big promises but deliver so little. Snips offers a powerful NLU which is short for Natural Language Understanding system that runs on the users device as opposed to the Cloud like all the other similar system do, which provides better security and privacy and coming next year, when the GDPR will become many companies worst nightmare, Snips is going to have no problems as it has been compliant since day 1.

6. Hundred5

Hundred5 is a hiring platform created by a small Estonian team. The recruiting tool automatically screens candidates’ abilities for the job as a first-pass filter. It makes sure the people you interview have what it takes to be successful in a remote work environment and in the role that you are looking for.

With that in mind, Hundred5 has ditched CV as the main screening tool and replaced it with skill assessments. Besides saving tons of time, those tests also strongly predict success in real work and tell you something you can’t learn from resumes. CV’s are more about how someone is able to present themselves rather than a demonstration of their abilities, which might lead you to select the wrong applicant.

7. Teamweek

Teammweek is project management software and a team calendar. The intuitive platform enables the project manager to assign tasks on a timeline and helps the team stay in the loop with what everyone is up to. Just like Hundred5, Teamweek is also based in Estonia. The company was originally founded by Toggl, but it became a separate company on its own this year. Teamweek is a successful bootstrapped product that you should definitely keep an eye on in 2018.

These have been only 7 companies that have caught my attention in the last few months and even if the list could have gone on for quite a while, I’ll stop here and keep providing updates in the coming months.

Read More at Promising European Startups to look for in 2018

http://www.primarytech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PrimaryTechnologies-Logo-new1-300x144.png00adminhttp://www.primarytech.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/PrimaryTechnologies-Logo-new1-300x144.pngadmin2017-11-23 18:30:052017-11-23 18:30:05Promising European Startups to look for in 2018

Stickers or labels you’ve designed can be a great addition to your portfolio. Labels are a prominent part of package design – a growing industry. Stickers are a great tool used for promoting businesses, products, events and even people. Designing custom stickers and labels is very similar to designing for traditional print, with a few mall changes. Ensure you get the best results with these tips and tricks from StickerYou, sticker printing professionals.

Beware the bleed. As with traditional printing, it is important to add a bleed of at least 1/8 inch to your design to account for subtle shifting in the cutting of your stickers or labels. Adding a bleed will ensure there are no slivers of white around the edges of your design. Die-cut stickers or labels without a border or colored background are typically printed with white padding around them to prevent parts of your design from being accidentally trimmed off.

2. Know your materials. Just like paper stocks, there are a vast number of different label or sticker material stocks. Depending on the printing method used and the stock used, your stickers or labels will have different appearances. Various stickers and labels are also used for different applications. Ex: Will they be used outdoors and require lamination or a coating to protect the design? Will the end us require that the stickers or labels be permanent or should they be removable? To get the best results, these are all questions you need to ask before choosing a sticker or label material.

3. A simple design is better. Complicated or overly detailed designs are more likely to be passed over. A sticker or label that is less complicated and vibrant will likely gain more attention. Simple designs are also easier to print and leave less room for print error.

4. Use the right color combinations. As with most print projects, color is tantamount. Make sure you are using the right colors for your design as well as any text. Avoid thin light text on dark backgrounds, dark text on dark backgrounds, or highly contrasting colors. Instead opt for a color scheme that compliments each other.

5. Use the right color mode. When you are designing for print, your colors will be most accurately represented and printed when you design in CMYK color mode. The same goes when you are designing for printed stickers or labels. If you need precise colors for a brand, you will need to use pantone colors or spot colors and may be charged extra for this.

6. Resolution matters. If you have a small print file and are printing it at a large size, you will experience resolution issues. Vice versa, if you have a large print file and are printing it as a small sticker or label, you will have resolution issues. In both cases, your printed stickers or labels may have blurred edges or appear to be of a lower quality. A good rule of thumb is to use a 350 dpi print file.

The post 6 Tips for Designing Stickers and Labels appeared first on Colorburned.

The financial domain is often associated with professionalism and more rigid, corporate design concepts. For example, as a financial advisory firm, you need to create a trustworthy image. That’s why you shouldn’t overlook an important aspect – the online appearance. Your website must have a concise but informative design, a proper use of images and useful content that delivers your message in a successful and effective way. Whether you’re a businessman, a financial company owner or just looking for design inspiration for a client, you should find some great design ideas and business templates in the list below.

In this article, we gathered some consulting agency, financial, marketing, business, and finance website templates and website design examples. These 40 financial website designs and templates have the power to help you represent your company’s greatest qualities and expertise, in the best way possible.

KeyPoint Credit Union

KeyPoint Credit Union is a bank in the Silicon Valley and Bay Area CA. Its blue and white site has a clean and professional look. There is a lot of content displayed, but it’s easy to read and go to the info you need with just a couple of clicks.

Justice – Responsive & Multipurpose WordPress Theme

SW Justice is a fully responsive layout which will look incredible on any devices. You can rapidly create columns to display categories and products, or you can even add links to any page, widgets, and plugins. This is a beautiful retina-ready and responsive theme business theme, designed for promoting companies. This theme has many features and allows you to edit the site quickly. It is fully customizable and allows changing colors, logo, and menu.

Northeast Credit Union

Northeast Credit Union is a leading member-owned New Hampshire Credit Union with an interesting website that features on the homepage a photo slideshow.

My Broker

This premium WordPress theme is ideal for your financial business and will help you successfully promote your company online. It is suitable for financial companies, investment services and much more. It is also SEO Optimized and has a full speed system.

Logix

Logix bank is the place where customers become members and part-owners when they open an account here. The site theme has a nice and fresh look with incredible functionality.

Finance Business

This business corporate WordPress theme is designed for business websites, for any financial and consulting offices, law offices, accountant offices, etc. Different pages can be created using a free shortcode collection, including charts and financial information texts.

Johnson Bank

Johnson Bank is a financial services company with expertise in banking. The bank site is fully responsive and has a sumptuous theme.

Consulting

This professional theme has great content that will engage and inspire future customers. For maximum optimization, you can choose how to display your services. Includes different templates, custom pie charts, progress bars, etc.

Lazard

Lazard, the world’s leading financial advisory and asset management firm, has a clear and modern site, with an easy to use menu. Their choice of typography and color palette, give this website an elegant, high-end look.

Capitalix

Capitalix is a multipurpose business WordPress theme. It is perfect for any business or market company. It has a bold layout and a unique style.

St. Mary’s Credit Union

St. Mary’s is a credit union that offers banking and financial planning to New Hampshire residents and businesses. Its site is a clean and professional one, plus it is easy to browse.

Experts – Professional Theme for Finance Firms

Experts is a professional and responsive WordPress specially designed for financial companies, financial firms, investment, tax-related, consulting, or any other kind of similar business. It comes with precise corporate demos and ready to use pages. This theme can be the ultimate solution for every businesses and website owner. It is designed based on the most business trends to improve your website with everything you need. It is a mobile friendly, and retina-ready theme.

Bain Capital

Bain Capital is a global alternative investment firm based in Boston. Its site has a fully configurable and easy to use a responsive theme.

Cashbook

Cashbook is a business and finance WordPress theme which can be a great choice for any company. It is a fully configurable and easy to use. This is a responsive theme with a lot of amazing features.

Technology Credit Union

Tech CU is a Silicon Valley-based credit union with an exciting and sophisticated business and finance site. It uses a mostly orange and red color palette which catches the visitors’ attention.

The Firm

This is a website theme perfect for a small company website. It’s SEO optimized, lightweight and comes with a simple admin panel. The Firm theme is ideal for companies, law firms and small businesses.

Los Angeles Federal Credit Union

This LA Federal credit union site has a slick contextual menu in the sidebar and is easy to use. It has lots of text content which is presented in a easy to browse manner.

Financia – Business and Finance WordPress Theme

Financia is a WordPress theme that is ideal for business, financial advisor, investment companies and much more. This is a modern and user-friendly theme which comes with a visual layout builder, custom posts, and portfolio. Financia is a clean, responsive WordPress theme that permits you to build a professional-looking website in a short time. Moreover, the homepage template is powered by widget-ready areas.

PNC Virtual Wallet

PNC offers a wide range of services for all our customers. PNC Virtual Wallet’s page has a modern and classy look. The illustration in the homepage slider is also very interesting.

Peace

This is an insurance agency WordPress Theme. Peace has a clean and professional layout and has a lot of features like sliders and insurance product galleries.

Xapo Wallet

Xapo helps you purchase bitcoins. You can then manage your bitcoin through an easy-to-use online wallet, with an imposing design. It uses large, bold typography and huge sliders on the homepage, to transmit its message in seconds.

Fusion

Fusion is a responsive WordPress theme, specially created for business and general corporate websites. This theme includes a visual composer and the necessary features for your website such as a blog, portfolio, shop, etc. It is also compatible with WPML.

BitGo

BitGo is one of the best security platforms for Bitcoin, with innovative and easy to use features. It has a blue and white color palette, which makes it trustworthy and professional.

Forex

This responsive theme was built specially for Forex traders and financial analysts. This modern template is a great solution and provides a wide set of theme options.

Sprott

The Sprott Group offers a collection of investment managers, delivering long-term returns to investors. This responsive site is easy to use and it has an eye-catching background.

Chairman – Responsive Multi-Purpose Theme

Chairman is created for a variety of purposes such as corporate, shop, portfolio, construction, event, etc. It comes with different layout options for header, home page, and content elements. This theme also supports WooCommerce. It is easy to use and set up.

Ryla – Multipurpose Single/Multi Page WordPress Theme

Ryla is a WordPress theme with a clean and stylish design. This theme can be adapted to any kind of business. Ryla is fully responsive.

Law Practice

The Law Practice is a professional-looking lawyer WordPress theme designed and developed to meet the needs of lawyers, accountants and many others that need a corporate website. It includes all the necessary features to present legal services online.

Old Mutual

Old Mutual Group is an international investment, savings, insurance, and banking group. Its site has a fresh and green look with a very easy to use menu.

Forstron

This is an impressive legal theme, suited for lawyers, advocates, attorneys, etc. This is fully GPL licensed with great customization option and Jetpack plugin integration.

Sonic – Responsive & Multipurpose WordPress Theme

Sonic is a multi-purpose WordPress theme which comes with e-commerce support and a sortable portfolio. It is also available with an easy-to-use Page Builder and Visual Composer.

GoodLaw

Goodlaw WordPress theme has a solid business design, ideal for law and financial companies. The theme features a useful list of attorneys, great blog layouts, as well as WP Booking Calendar to instantly make appointments. It includes an easy-to-use media content manager and a visual composer.

Field & Main

Field & Main Bank is a Kentucky-chartered community bank dedicated to serving Kentucky and Indiana customers. This is a classic, sleek site, with a clean layout and very easy to browse.

Atrium

Atrium is a responsive corporate theme created for business or corporate related projects. You can modify the layout, colors, and fonts. It has a built-in theme demo data installer.

Argon

Argon Asset Management is an authorized financial services provider. This site has a minimalist style with black and white colors and teal accents.

Tita 3D

This theme is a multipurpose and fully responsive WordPress theme, you can use as a starting point for any kind of project. Easy color and image selections are available. The theme has a fully responsive design.

Focuson – Business WordPress Theme

This is a fully responsive, clean and retina-ready WordPress Theme. It comes with loads of customization options and interesting design features that you will find useful.

FinancePlus

This finance and business WordPress theme is specially designed for business, financial advisor, accountant, law firm, wealth advisor, investment and general corporate websites. It is SEO optimized, responsive, retina ready.

Squarefolio – Business Multipurpose WordPress Theme

Squarefolio business multipurpose theme is easy to edit and modify according to your wishes. It also provides some great features like one-click demo installation, Visual Composer, Revolution Slider, etc.

Finanza

This is a clean, responsive WordPress theme, designed for business, financial advisor, accountant, law firm websites. It comes with some interesting features for your website such as blog, portfolio, testimonial, personnel page, etc.

The post 40 Financial Website Designs & Templates appeared first on Line25.